


The True Meanings of a Private Life

by VacantCanadian



Category: Assassination Classroom
Genre: A WILD RIDE, Dorks that Cant Communicate their Feelings, Fluff, I'm never been to college but im gonna try in vain to write college age characters, KARUNAGI, M/M, and by fun i mean absolute hell, and im the one writing it, art model(??) nagisa, art student Karma, here we go again, i cant flirt so neither can my characters, i hardly know whats going on, its these two, karmagisa - Freeform, probably ooc nagisa oops again, rip my readers ooops, smut?????, this'll be fun, useless fluff, wallflower karma???
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-23
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2018-10-22 20:47:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10704786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VacantCanadian/pseuds/VacantCanadian
Summary: Karma grew up watching the rise and fall of Kunugigaoka's favorite starlet from a distance and thought little of it.Now what is he to think?(AU explained in the beginning chapter, it's p long and kind of complicated im so sorr y)





	1. His Pretext

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nagisucc](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nagisucc/gifts).



Karma had never quite known how to feel when news of Nagisa Shiota came up in the media. 

 

They had met fleetingly in their first years in Class B, but Karma had moved up to Class A quickly, so their enaction was limited. From what he knew, Nagisa seemed like a kind boy: Timid, intelligent, good-humoured and good-natured; It was calming just to be in his presence. Karma briefly remember that, once, they had gone to the movies together, to see an action film that they had both highly anticipated the release of. It wasn’t anything romantic, but the redhead could still faintly recall wanting to hold the other’s hand. He now deduced that urge down to the first signs of his being gay. He had been in middle school, and he had been with another boy; Of course he had felt tempted to get more intimate.

 

While he was in Class A, he had heard rumors of Shiota being transferred to 3-E, and while he certainly pitied his old acquaintance-Entering Class E was social suicide- He felt that the smaller boy would be able to hold his own as a student of the infamous classroom. Although Nagisa’s personality hinted at frailness, something about his demeanor felt tough, and at times, intimidating. Though the blue-haired boy’s head was down when they passed in the street, Karma sensed a strength in his person that glowed through him; Something he couldn’t describe, but only  _ feel _ . Nagisa felt stronger, Nagisa felt more daring, as if his new environment had hardened him rather than break him. So when Karma heard the breaking news, he wasn’t entirely taken aback. 

 

The redhead might have suffered the same fate, what with his tendencies for random fighting and his scattered suspensions, but he had tethers of reason that kept him from collapsing into his own manic compulsions. Firstly, he was sly, which was something he had learned over time, but nevertheless kept him from engaging in fights where he knew he would get caught in the act. He hated watching his classmates bully frightened students from further down classes, and his mind called him coward when he didn’t immediately act on his urges and slam the valedictorian into a wall, but he forced himself to step away until he could get the student alone and help them separately. It was torture, putting himself before his morales, especially when teachers praised him for waiting until a student was seriously hurt to interfere, but he kept on out of a combination of fear of his authorities and for his future. 

 

The second voice of reason in his mind was his art. He knew his dad was going to loathe finally coming home to a gay son that wanted a future in drawing, but he also knew that at if he kept improving, he could get into an art college by himself and he wouldn't have to worry what his parents thought at all. Art had started out as a casual hobby and a tactic to relieve stress for him, but he had become increasingly serious at it as he continued to practice, and now, when the urge to go out and tear someone to shreds was particularly strong, he would spend hours upon hours cooped up in his room, working away at a large sketchbook with a small stick of charcoal that he had reduced to a nub (his favorite medium since he was at least twelve). His art teacher, though still not a great person in Karma’s opinion, showered him with praise and was his favorite teacher. She, at the least, encouraged him instead of taunting him when he chose spending an hour correct the lighting on a sketch opposed to going out drinking. Karma’s initial plan for his life had been to work at a large company like his dad’s, but as he grew older, he began to realize how much he despised and dreaded the stress of classic academics and group work, despite his talent for the subjects. Working in an office would drive him to madness. 

 

Graduating middle school was a welcome relief, but the sudden explosion of drama after graduation prevented him from getting to fully enjoy a bit of it. No kid in Kunugigaoka could go an hour without hearing about the daring assassination scandal that the government had planted right in their own junior high, and kids from class E couldn’t seem to escape the prying eye of the media, sometimes bursting into tears during run ins. Karma hardly even believed the disfiguration of the moon in the year’s beginning; Stories of an octopus-like humanoid (he had heard that the creature teaching class E was a human experiment) hardly even registered, and he tried to avoid the subject of such claims as if they were the plague, but it was nearly impossible. 

 

Nagisa’s face was the one most commonly on magazine covers and the television screen, supposedly because he had been the one to finally finish off the teacher. At first he was extremely gracious with the media, sitting down to tell the story of “Korosensei” at the media’s request several times, and smiling politely for photos even though he was obviously uncomfortable with the attention. After a month had oozed by and reporters were still pestering him for information, he became more and more withdrawn and stand-offish, clearly agonized at the idea of having to be a celebrity. He was civil to reporters but firm in his refusal for any interaction with them; Karma had to admire the way in which he handled himself in the face of such annoyance. If the redhead was in his place, the fifth person to come up him after the incident would’ve received a sharp blow in the jaw. The topic of the Class 3-E’s teacher seemed like such a touchy subject for the students; bringing it up to them was like rubbing salt in an open wound. And although he had never publicly broken down like many of his classmates, Nagisa seemed to be the most damaged by the experience. 

 

The business of the Assassination Classroom slowly quieting down until mid July, when Hiromi Shiota, Nagisa’s mother, was arrested on her son’s birthday. According to witness, there was a loud commotion in the apartment where both mother and son lived, involving lots of slamming and screaming. Those who had come out at the loud noises then saw Nagisa bolt out of the front door as if he was running for his life, and after a few moments, his mother came streaking after him. It was pouring rain, so no one could tell for absolute sure, but some witnesses believe they heard shrieks from the mother about a dress and murder. Nagisa showed up at the police station with a large gash in his head, short of breath from both sprinting and crying. He told the police that his mother had hurt him and had been doing such for about a year or two’s time, although this incident had turned more violent than was usual. Mrs. Shiota was caught and arrested, screaming bloody murder  and cursing her son’ as she was dragged away by law authority. 

 

For a brief moment both were in the police station together (although Hiromi was restrained) and loud arguing ensued, including Nagisa and his mother crying and swearing without abandon at each other. It was at this moment that the media decided to make an appearance. It was at that moment that Nagisa’s already-frail tolerance for the reporters completely shattered. Unhinged, he began to wave them off wildly, alternating between screaming at them and his mother. The police ended up having to remove the traumatized boy from the chaotic scene before taking his mother into custody. 

 

Hiromi’s trial lasted another month; Everyone in town was sick of it after two days. This seemed to include Nagisa more than anyone, who seemed more eager to have his mother gone than to publicly shame her for the abuse she had enacted on him. He issued a somewhat light apology to the media for his rudeness that night and explained that, as one might guess, he was under a great deal of stress at the time, and although it was obvious that he still held a grudge (not that such wasn’t justifiable), the reporters seemed to accept it gladly. After all, they were still busy having a field day with the town’s old savior’s tragic backstory and trauma: they couldn’t afford to be bitter with the obvious victim of the situation. 

 

Eventually, the case ended and Hiromi was given a lengthy sentence and was restricted from custody over her son. Nagisa reportedly went to live with his father on the opposite side of town, and Karma falsely began to believe that the town was finally finished exploiting Nagisa Shiota’s personal life for money. But what the blue-haired boy did next was practically an invitation for the tabloids to write about him. 

 

Karma hadn’t been a freshman for even a week before the news got around: Nagisa had been found in a gay bar in the sketchy side of town, fully involving himself with some sophomore boy. Eyewitness said he looked pretty drunk and was making out with his companion like his life depended on it, only laughing when people tried to take pictures. The tabloids were raring to go by the time morning came, and so the era of Nagisa the Hero turned Wild Child began. For all of his high school years, Nagisa dwelled in a constant state of intoxication and lust, constantly being found clinging to someone, the gender never consistent, or laughing and dancing up a storm in a club of some sort with a wind cooler in his hand. Friends said he would show up to first period sometimes with a smoky eye and winged eyeliner, or would leave school grounds at the end of the day with a bag over his shoulder that everyone knew contained his more daring nightwear. Pictures of him smiling in miniskirts and tight jeans peppered every teen magazine, but the blue-haired boy no longer seemed bothered by the attention. When drunk, he would giggle and playfully flip off cameras as he wrapped his other arm around somebody’s waist. 

 

To put it simply, he was a fucking wreck. But apparently he did decently in school and didn’t cause much trouble with teachers, because Karma soundly graduated high school without hearing a peep of his notorious peer flunking out, or even having to retake a year. God knew how he did it; not that Karma cared. Nagisa’s business was not his business: whether or not his old acquaintance graduated high school was of little concern to the redhead. He had plenty to worry about in his own life without sticking his nose in other’s private lives, never mind that such was unethical anyhow. And either way, Nagisa’s reckless behavior slowly tapered out in his senior year. Amazingly, even crazed child starlets needed to focus in class in order to get into college. Shiota’s behavior, in Karma’s opinion, was childish and laughable.But at least the blue-haired boy could tell when it was time to get serious. 

 

And now Karma was here, staring pensively at the doorway to his dormitory as it if was a complex physics problem instead of a tiny space with one window and two identical sets of twin beds and desks. 

 

His new roommate sat calmly on his bed, doing something on his phone. His name was Yuuma Isogai, who was (just his luck)  _ another  _ kid from the famous Class E. But they had talked a bit and the redhead had decided that there were definitely worse people in this world to share a dorm with. He was intelligent, modest, generally quiet, and had a classy demeanor and a likeable boyfriend (Honestly, having a non-homophobic roommate was a score in itself), and Akabane could admittedly see himself getting along well with the other boy. Hiroto Maehara, Isogai’s boyfriend, was in the same building with them and although his unceasing prattle was a little irritating after half an hour, as well as his ridiculously cliche couple antics with Yuuma, he wouldn’t have to see the tangerine-haired boy so much that such would become unbearable. For the somewhat-prestigious college he had registered to, he had done pretty well. And he’d certainly choose Class E kids any day over some of the self-righteous snobs he had to deal with in Class A. Many of them had headed off to top colleges on the other side of Japan, and it was Good Riddance. 

 

Cautiously, the redhead dragged his suitcase into the room and began to unpack his things. He set his linens carefully on the bed and began to sort his clothes into different drawers. Isogai looked up momentarily from his phone and pursed his lips.

 

Karma glanced back at him. “Something wrong?” He deadpanned. 

 

Yuuma hesitated. “No. You just look familiar.” He brushed a lock of ashy hair out of his eyes. 

 

“I already told you, I was a student at Kunugigaoka with you; That’s probably why you remember me.” 

 

“No, I don’t think that’s it…” Isogai squinted at his roommate. “Ah, whatever. Guess it doesn’t matter. So, what’s your major?”

 

The redhead lifted his large sketchbook out of his suitcase, opened it up to a random drawing, and flashed it briefly at Yuuma before setting it on his desk. 

“Oh! Interesting, I wouldn't have pinned you as an artist.”

 

“A lot of people wouldn’t’ve. And they’d be right. I’m just an art major right now.” 

 

“Hah, I guess you’re right. But still, maybe the earring should’ve tipped me off.” 

 

A self-conscious hand went to Karma’s right ear automatically, where a climber earring in the shape of a serpent writhed along the outer part of his ear, but he pulled it away in a quick burst of willpower. He had gotten his ears pierced in his second year, in a sudden high of rebellion. He didn’t regret his actions, but it was still somewhat embarrassing when people brought them up. “Maybe.” He shrugged and continued to put things on his desk. 

 

After both boys had organized their sides of the dorm, a lively dinner in the dining hall and and something of a small orientation speech ensued. Karma climbed into bed that night feeling a tad unsure of himself, but oddly comforted, as if he were home for the first time. 

 


	2. Undeterrable Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> another 2k word chapter yaaay

Akabane had been in classes for about three weeks and everything had been going rather smoothly. At first he had fretted about the workload and the demanding concepts, but while his homework load at the end of the night definitely wasn’t ideal, it wasn’t completely overwhelming either. His art teacher was a joy, as embarrassing as it was for Karma to admit: He always felt a tad ashamed when he liked a teacher for some unidentifiable reason, like an elementary schooler having to confess to his friends that he had enjoyed the homework. But his professor was quick-witted and highly knowledgeable as well as entertaining, and every time she used his work as an example he glowed with pride.

Today he ambled into class and plopped down on a stool close to the desk, smiling softly to himself as he twirled a pencil in his hands.

“Having a good day?” His professor chuckled at his expression and he flashed a trademark smirk.

“Well, yeah-You said we were gonna move on to a different aspect of still lives today, right?” He laughed. They had been working on the correct use of color and tone for the past few days, and while no part of traditional art was truly unpleasant to him, coloring and balancing color had never been his favorite. He was glad to move on.

“Yes, we are moving on. And we’ll be using charcoals, so I think you’ll have fun, assuming you nor anyone else in class becomes-Disruptive.” Karma’s smirk turned to a genuine beam at the mention of his preferred medium. It wasn’t by any means a professional art tool, so only God knew why he enjoyed using it so, but something about the feeling of the roughly-textured stick of charcoal moving against lightweight paper set him at ease, like the only thing that mattered was capturing the curves and angles of his subjects on the canvas. Besides, an imperfect medium often meant more focus on skill itself, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if the class spent the whole period drawing. That in itself would be a dream.   
“Sounds fun,” The student told his teacher as his classmates began to slowly file into the room, some holding cups of coffee and yawning loudly as if it wasn’t already eleven thirty in the afternoon. Karma shrugged to himself as he pulled out a sketchbook and began to doodle mindlessly. They had probably stayed up all night trying to finish a last-minute paper or something. _College_.

“Hello, class!” The professor exclaimed brightly to her studio full of students. A few gave a half-hearted reply. Unfazed, she continued: “Alright, today we begin a new unit, and although some of you may not like it, I’m sure you’ll all benefit from it-” A collection of groans ensued, as if they knew what lay ahead.”-Today we’re going to move on the subject of perspectives and lighting; We’ll be kicking that off with a week of anatomy practice.” Karma’s head rose from his sketchbook in interest: He had very little practice with human anatomy, as he liked to draw from reference, and he never really could ask anyone to be his subject. The closest thing he had drawn to a realistic figure of a person were messy sketches of his left hand and small positioning practices without any details. Despite such, he was eager to gain more experience in an area in which he lacked.

“We actually have been blessed with good fortune for the beginning of this unit, so we’ll be heading to the auditorium shortly to practice drawing some students who have graciously volunteered their free period every day this week to change out of their clothes and come sit in the same position for two to three hours just so that we can sketch them. I trust you’ll all be very polite to them in return for offering to help us out.” A cautious hand went into the air. “Yes, Mrs. Fuwa?”

“Um, I know we’re working on lighting, but, it’s not gonna be, like...Nude drawings, right?” Half the class laughed, and the tiny girl speaking flushed. “I just mean-They’re not gonna be totally naked or anything, right?”

The professor chuckled softly. “No, Fuwa, there will be no extremities out in the open; No need to worry about such. They’ll be showing skin, but just enough so that you can get a good concept of the texture of skin and proportions of the body.”

Fuwa let out a small sigh of relief, and Karma laughed softly to himself. He’d probably go straight for the bustiest female in the room, just to fuck with people. He always got a kick out of watching straight guys solve the world’s most complicated equations in their head as they tried to understand how he could talk to extremely attractive girls so easily.

The class made their way across the campus to the auditorium with their hefty sketchbooks in hand, some grumbling about having to practice their least favorite aspect of art while others chattered excitedly with their friends about the prospect. They walked into the auditorium to find their models all draped in simple dark linens and ready to be drawn. Karma’s eyes immediately locked onto a soft, busty girl on the far right of the stage, sitting somewhat shyly with her legs bunched up next to her torso. His teacher set them loose and he walked briskly and determinedly towards her, trying not to make eye contact with anyone else (particularly any male models: He could handle a half-naked girl, but the guys made him slightly uncomfortable, at the least).

He approached the female model, sat down on the stage a few feet away from her, opened his sketchbook and began to sketch her figure. A few minutes ticked by and he noticed that _quite_ a few girls had started to sit on his left to draw the person next to his subject, which made him focus his eyes even harder on his drawing. He roughly lined out a few curves on the girl’s shoulders and looked up quickly at her face to decide on an expression. She turned a tad red when the made eye contact, but smiled weakly, and Karma gave a small smile and a friendly wave in return. He tried to return his gaze to his sketch, but instead he turned his eyes to the large gaze he felt being directed at him. His first mistake.

  
His eyes flicked over to meet a stellar blue gaze, the color of the sky on a gentle spring day. Or more like the reflection of such in a pool of clear water, because these eyes sparkled brightly under the lighting of the stage. Karma blinked a few times to tear himself away from the azure stare, only to take in the entirety of a romanesque, bluish being. Smooth, powder blue hair trickled down to bare, slightly flushed shoulders like water in a stream, and supple, porcelain skin expanded across the entire of the exposed body. Slender fingers curled gently under a plump, rosy pout, and long eyelashes batted in curiosity.

It was Nagisa Fucking Shiota. Because why fucking not.

And his expression was suggestive, to say the very least. He was sporting a small smile, but his eyelids lowered seductively when Karma made eye contact, and he bit his lip as his shoulders bounced softly. The redhead blushed a tad at the lewd manner of the other boy and frowned. _What the fuck._ The blue-haired student had somehow followed him here, likes e the ghost of his past, and of course he had the nerve to look indecently handsome while here. The taller boy tore his eyes away from the model to his right, biting his lip in what he hoped was frustration. He came here to focus on his studies and work on carving out his life and career, not to get involved with the first queer troublemaker that glanced his way. Nagisa had been sweet and kind in the past, and maybe he still was, but Karma couldn’t be sure, what with his tendencies for parties and chaos in high school. _I don’t want to get myself into a mess with him, or any guy here,_ the redhead decided firmly as he glared down determinedly at his paper.

But some part of him obviously didn’t feel the same, because within ten seconds his eyes had flown back up to Shiota’s figure as if small magnets were implanted in his pupils. The blue-haired boy did the half-laugh again and smiled warmly and knowingly at the other boy, the same smile an amused mother gives to her confused child. Karma felt his cheeks burn slightly more and cursed internally. Who the hell did this guy think he was? He was debating whether or not to tell the model to knock it the fuck off when a female voice piped up instead, telling the petite boy to please keep still so they could draw. Nagisa’s demeanor immediately went from suave to stiff and apologetic; He blushed profusely and quickly expressed his contriteness in a somewhat squeaky, panicked voice as he returned to his original position. Karma stifled a giggle at the quick change in attitude. _Not so high and mighty now, huh?_ He thought as he raised his eyebrows humorously at the other boy. The blue-haired student furrowed his eyebrows and stuck out his lower lip in a way that made the redhead wonder if he was joking around or not.

The two-hour class was essentially a ruthless cycle of gold eyes subconsciously flitting up to meet blue ones, then forcing themselves back down again with a non subtle blush. Karma felt himself exhale in relief when the teacher dismissed the class, and hastily began to pack up his things as people filed out of the auditorium. He was a few feet from the door when he felt a tap of his shoulder. Cautiously, he turned around, hoping against all hope that it wasn’t who he thought it was. It was.

“I know you.” Nagisa said simply as he stared up at the redhead.

“Yeah, you do. Nice to see you.” The taller boy pushed Shiota’s hand off of his shoulder and made for the door, but a hand grabbed the sleeve of his sweatshirt, rather firmly this time.

“I _know_ you.” The blue-haired boy’s voice was firmer this time around as he held his grip on the other student. He tilted his head in curiosity. “You’re from Kunugigaoka, right? Class A. I remember you.” Karma pursed his lips, unsure of how to answer.

“...Yeah, I am. Why does it matter? Do you hate me?” He wouldn’t blame him if he did. Class A’s students were always the worst about bullying the ‘End Class’ before the assassination took place. No doubt Nagisa had some bad connotations associated with anyone in his old classroom.

To his surprise, Nagisa chuckled in a low voice. “Obviously _not_ , dumbass. Weren’t you paying attention?” The undertone of flirtation was back in his demeanor, and his eyes had gone from intimidating to half-lidded. _Oh God._

“I’m not looking for a hookup, Shiota. Go find somebody else.” The redhead said hotly, trying to turn away again. Nagisa grabbed his shoulder and practically _jerked_ him back around. Karma almost gasped aloud at his unsuspected strength.

  
“Geez, what’s with you? Lighten up.” The petite boy’s eyes were playful despite his rough actions; He laughed softly. “You haven’t even told me your name yet.”

“...I’m Karma Akabane,” Karma muttered grudgingly. “Happy?”

Nagisa tilted his head again and smiled. “Hmm. Now I know how I remember you.”

Karma’s mind immediately brought him back the the dimly lit theatre and his own sweaty palms, and he blushed. “...And how is that?”

  
Nagisa grinned. “You’re that tough-looking nerd that I went to go see Sonic Ninja with!” With that, he walked away. “See you, Akabane.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally!! I'm back with some sweet sweet karmagisa interaction godbless
> 
> Thank you to everyone who kudosed(?) and commented on the first chapter!! Tbh i was considering deleting the fic as i was momentarily overwhelmed with self doubt after posting it,,, but it got a decent amount of positive feedback so i get to continue!!! which im glad abt because this fic will hopefully involve a lot of cute and quirky scenes that im excited to write :)
> 
> so yeah, if you enjoyed thus far, kudos and comments are much appreciated,, i love geting them they're my writing fuel so pls pls pls if u liked the fic give me validation i have no self confidence 
> 
> i love yall see u in the next chapter hopefully!!!!
> 
> -vc


	3. Playful Challenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this one's a bit shorter thank god
> 
>  
> 
> aaaand we've got a good chapter set up!! Praise jebus

Karma walked into the auditorium the following day and his eyes once again became magnet, automatically locking onto a pair of large blue irises. This time, however, these eyes were not staring directly into his own; rather, they were diverted to something below his gaze, dilated in what looked like a panicky expression. Karma gazed down to look at himself-He was wearing a loose, sleeveless Queen shirt and ripped up jeans that he had rolled up a bit past his ankles-Nothing unusual, especially for an art student. He couldn’t understand why Nagisa looked so fazed. He brushed his unruly scarlet bangs out of his eyes and shrugged as he sat down, feeling that azure stare following him as he flipped open his sketchbook again. This time he had chosen a taller and skinnier subject, though still female; he needed the practice for more bony figures. He’d give himself a break tomorrow and do another curvy person. 

The cycle of distracted eyes was set into motion once again as he began to draw, but for some reason it seemed that the tables had turned and now Shiota was a helpless victim. Karma kept looking up to see the blue-haired boy gazing at him with an almost strained expression, and it always took him a moment to realize that the redhead was returning his stare. It was still kind of embarrassing, the eye contact, but somehow it felt more manageable now that Nagisa seemed to be in some kind of stupor or nervousness. Karma had to suppress hearty laughter every time the petite student’s face would go pink. You could make a drinking game out of this, he thought to himself humorously to himself as he began to add finishing details to his sketch. 

He felt himself dragging behind again after class ended, and he had a good feeling that while Shiota was going to attempt banter again, this time it would be more entertaining for him. 

“Uh...Hey.” The blue-haired boy’s greeting was slow as he backed out from behind the stage curtain, now dressed properly. His eyes were still large as ever as he almost crept towards the redhead. 

Karma chuckled softly and grinned. “Hey yourself. What happened to the racey Shiota from yesterday?” For a fleeting moment, he watched Nagisa’s eyes flicker to his neck and collarbone. It was only for a millisecond, but it was enough for a warm feeling to spread through his chest. 

“I mean- He's still there, I’m just...Tired.” The smaller boy shuffled his feet a little before speaking again.

“Hey, I just remembered-There’s something I wanted to ask you,” Karma stepped a bit closer to the now-bashful student. “How’d you end up doing this? Like, I’d have never pinned you as the type.”

“Well-I-”

“Are you just doing it to get back in the spotlight again~?” The taller boy teased.

“No!” Nagisa sputtered indignantly, eyes darting around the room. He crossed his arms tightly across his chest. “I don’t k-know… Maybe I have an appreciation for the arts, and I’m trying to help out is all.” He finally mumbled, half-pouting. 

“Ha! That’s rich!”

“Shut up, Akabane!”

“I bet you wouldn’t know the difference between an abstract and a still life.”

“I do too, asshat! Just because I’m not majoring in art, it doesn’t mean I’ve don’t know anything about the subject! I know more than you think I do!” Kama smirked at the smaller boy; This could get interesting.

“Can I test your knowledge, then?” Nagisa’s expression went from frustrated to blank.

“Wait, what? Like, right now?”

Karma laughed. “No, dumbass. The campus is only, like, a twenty minute walk from the local art museum. How about I take you and you can show me how much you value art?” 

Nagisa raised a skeptical eyebrow. “...Like a date?”

The redhead shrugged. “If you can show me that there’s a brain behind that pretty face, then sure, it’s a date. I’ll even get you ice cream on the way back.” Something that Karma couldn’t name was sparkling in those wide azure eyes.

“Okay. You’re on. I live in the fraternity house on Third East Avenue. Come pick me up.”

“You free on Friday? Six thirty PM?”

“Yeah.”

“Then we’ve got a date.” Karma smiled smugly as he walked off. “See you later, my fellow art hoe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey y'alllllllll
> 
> im back (finally!!) with the third chapter!! It's been a hella long time y'all im so sorry,,, ive just had testing and theres drama going on in my house aND i hit a depressive spiral last week so i havent had much going for me but heres this
> 
> hopefully the next chapter will be fun; i finally got to display karma's teasing nature which was nice as he was axcting so wallflower-y in the last chapter grOssss
> 
> anyways have a nice day!! thanks for reading leave kudos n comments pls ily
> 
> -vc


	4. Arranged Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ((i bullshitted the chapter title oops sry))
> 
> some pretext before the Big Date!! :0

Karma hummed somewhat idly to himself as he combed his hair out and, after a moment’s hesitation, mussed it back up again into his trademark, bad-boy-esque look. He tilted his head and his phone camera in tandem, trying see his hair from every angle he could.

“Karma, you’ve been posing in front of your phone for at least ten minutes now-Do you have a secret career as an Instagram model or something?” Isogai asked, peering over his shoulder. Karma stuck his tongue out at his roommate and collapsed emphatically on his bed like a pouty teenager.

“No. I just have-” The redhead paused, unsure of whether or not to describe his outing as a date or not. “-I’m meeting up with someone in, like, half an hour.”

“Oh, really? What are you two going to go do?”

“We’re going downtown.” As kind as Isogai was, Karma still didn’t like the idea of telling him he was going to an art museum; it felt pretentious coming out of his mouth unless he gave context for the arrangement, which inevitably sounded kind of flirtatious.

“Ah-Well, I’m going to go meet a few friends on the other side of the campus. Have fun!” Karma waved halfheartedly as his roommate exited the dorm room.

It would take him about fifteen minutes to reach Nagisa’s house on foot, so he had about that much time to prepare for their meeting. Quickly, he threw his t-shirt off and began to search his closet for a button-down, or something that’d be appropriate for an art museum. He’d leave his jeans as they were, just to save his reputation as a laidback person. After at least three minutes of pawing through his hell of a closet, he found a simple gray collared shirt that would suit his needs. He quickly buttoned it up over his torso and tucked it in for good measure. He ran over to his bed and checked his phone clock. 6:13. Snapping his head up, he hurriedly grabbed a jacket and began his walk to the other’s house.

After fifteen minutes of walking a few steps and then glancing down anxiously at Google maps, Karma found himself at a large, two-story house painted a shade of slate gray. Most of its windows were lit up, and if he listened closely he could hear the sound of boys his age yelling to each other from different sides of the estate. The redhead walked up to the house and rung the doorbell. He heard the barking of a dog at the sound, followed by a voice yelling “I GOT IT!”

A boy with short raven hair answered the door. “Are you Nagisa’s date?” He asked casually.

Karma felt his cheeks tinge pink. “Uh...yeah, I guess?”

“You guess?”

“I mean-” The redhead swallowed. “-Yes. That would be me.”

“Alright, lemme just-” The other boy turned his head towards the stairs. “NAGISA! YOUR DATE IS HERE!”

“I KNOW! TELL HIM I’M COMING!”

The raven-haired boy returned his focus to Karma. “He’s coming.”

Karma had no idea how to respond to that, but luckily he didn’t have to, as Nagisa chose that moment to come racing down the stairs, swearing like a sailor. He hurried to the door and quickly began to push the other boy out of the doorframe.

“Get out of the way, asshole, I’m here now, you’re not my dad, jesus-” He halted his irritated mumbling and looked up at Karma. “Uh-Hi, Karma! Sorry I’m running late, my friend needed my help with-” The petite boy didn’t get to finish his thought, because at that moment a huge, dark figure came running down the stairs on all fours, bowled over Nagisa and crashed into Karma. The redhead stumbled back a few feet as a large weight pressed on his chest, then straightened up and forced up the head of the thing that had jumped on him. His attacker was a large brown dog that was almost as tall as he was when it stood on its hind legs. Karma burst into laughter as the dog barked happily and licked excitedly at his face.

“Mochi, No! Oh my god, I’m so sorry-” Nagisa fumbled with his words as he pushed himself up from the floor, “She’s usually not like this, she just gets excitable around strangers, I’m so, _so_ sorry-”

“Are you kidding?” Karma giggled, his eyes shining as he supported the dog. “This is the best! I love her!” He began to scratch the eager dog behind her ears. “So, her name is Mochi? Whose dog is she?”

Nagisa didn’t say anything for a moment, he simply stared up at the other boy with wide eyes and slightly flushed cheeks. Eventually he murmured, “Oh-Yeah, she’s mine. Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” Karma placated the petite boy as he set the dog back on all fours, still chuckling. “She’s _adorable_. I love her. I’m so glad I get to meet her.” He said cheerily as he squatted down to pet the dog some more. “Who’s a good girl?” He asked her in a singsong voice as he scratched at the scruff of her neck. She barked happily in response. “Oh, is it you? Are you the good girl?” He teased, hugging her quickly before rising back up.

Nagisa blinked a few times at the other, a somewhat visible blush tinting his face, before gently taking Mochi’s collar and pulling her back into the house. He looked back up at Karma, then paused. “Um...Are you ready to leave, then?” He asked softly.

It was at this moment that Karma first got to take a good look at the smaller boy, and he was noticeably surprised by what he saw. He had expected Nagisa to answer the door in something tight-fitting or wine-colored, with his face made up like it had been in the tabloid pictures (The redhead remembered that Nagisa had been wearing silvery eyeshadow on the day the still life unit started). Instead, his long blue hair was pulled back in a messy bun, and he wore a simple red sweater over a white button up, which was paired with black jeans and converse.

“...You’re wearing glasses,” Karma noted as he gazed at the petite boy.

Nagisa’s hand went up to his face immediately, where the large, rounded frames rested. “I-Oh, yeah...Sorry, I didn’t have enough time to put in my contacts. I used to not have to wear them, but I kind of fucked up my eyesight in junior high from staying up late reading in stuff, and then in high school I...Well, you get the idea.” He chuckled nervously and pushed up his spectacles.

“It’s fine. You look nice in them.” It was true. They brought out his already large blue eyes, making them a hundred times more mesmerizing than they already were. The redhead blushed just slightly at the realization that he could happily spend hours gazing into those eyes, just trying to count every shade and tone of blue that existed within such gorgeous irises. There was silence for a moment, then he snapped out of his stupor. _Dumbass, you’re supposed to be acting suave!_

To make up for his sudden pause, he grinned and extended his elbow. “Well, Nagisa, are you ready to be whisked away into the night?~” He teased.

The blue-haired boy rolled his eyes and smirked, taking the elbow nonetheless. “We’re just going to an art museum, you prick.” He laughed as they began to walk down the street.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ugh, sorry this chapter is so short! Figured I'd post this as it's own mini-chapter, as the next one should be a good bit longer (oh boy more longass chapters ik y'all are just estatic) and sorry for the long wait again, i've had a lot to do as school came to an end, but it's over now and hopefully next week will leave me a good bit of time to make some progess in this work, god willing. Hopefully you all enjoyed meeting Nagisa's dog, I know I did! She'll be reappearing in some later chapters, so keep an eye out for her because basically karma's going to love her like a daughter lmao
> 
> Anyways, as always, if you enjoyed, im always thirsty for kudoses and (constructive!) comments so hmu with those if you have the time,, Thank you again for reading my bs i love all'a y'all!!! 
> 
> -vc


	5. A Brief Outing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> suprise bitch
> 
> i bet you thought you’d seen the last of me ;)

The stroll to the museum was mostly filled with chatter about random subjects-Marvel movies, dog breeds, music genres-nothing of substance, just lighthearted banter. Karma learned that Nagisa was majoring in writing, his more specific interest striking the redhead’s interest particularly.

“I like to, um…” The blue-haired boy murmured started, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “...I like writing poetry a lot. Love poems, specifically.”

“Love poems?”

“I-Well, yeah. Not just the kind of thing you’d dedicate to a lover, though. I just find the concept of romance in itself really interesting. It’s like art, in a way. It’s scope, depth, importance, and meaning is totally different to everyone, but somehow we all, as a species, seem to be able to link to each other with it. I like to try and… Discover all the ways a person can fall in love, if you will. To map out feelings that are often labeled as indescribable by people.” He paused and chuckled. “Sorry, I sound kind of like a geek.” He apologized, looking up at the other boy.

“No, no, it’s fine!” Karma waved his hand hurriedly. “That’s actually a really cool way to think about it. I like your interpretation.” He grinned down at the smaller student. “You sound really intelligent. You should read me some of your works sometime; I’d love to hear them.”

Nagisa’s cheeks tinted pink, and he nervously pushed up his glasses. “I...I don’t know. I guess I could.” He smiled softly at the ground. Karma smiled along with him.

Soon enough, they reached the museum. “So do we have to like, buy tickets, or-“

Karma pushed ahead of him. “Fear not, Shiota-All art majors have memberships to the museum for study classes.” He exclaimed with specious arrogance, pulling a small card out of his pocket and showing it to the front desk, who gestured for the two boys to go inside.

Nagisa rolled his eyes playfully. “My knight in shining armor.” He followed Karma into the first room and looked around hesitantly.

“So, Mr. Shiota, tell me-“ Karma spoke up cockily, putting a hand to his chin, “What type of painting is that?”He questioned, pointing to a painting across the room.

Nagisa eyed it for a second, then spoke with discernment in his voice. “Impressionist, obviously. Whoever made it is a bit of a Monet impersonator, though. It kind of lacks individuality.”

Karma’s eyes widened in surprise. He had expected at least a moment of stuttering before an answer, let alone an answer this detailed. His mouth gaped for a moment as he gazed at the other, but he closed his mouth quickly as it had opened and he shook his head. Maybe he’d just gotten lucky? He grabbed Nagisa’s hand and pulled him over to another portion of the room.  
“Well, what about this one-“

___

The night proceeded, with Karma pointing left and right and Nagisa giving nonchalant answers, but Akabane’s demeanor went from one of interrogation to want of second opinion. The two conversed in deep thought over drawings and sculptures scattered throughout the museum, throwing ideas about theme and composition out for the other to build on. Occasionally one of the two boys would pull out their notebook and jot down ideas for future pieces. Nagisa did it more frequently, though he always looked somewhat wary whenever he did so, his eyes flickering nervously between the pages and Karma, as if he were worried his date might attempt to steal his thoughts from him. Karma noted that under Nagisa’s bright blue eyes, one could see dark circles. The large glasses and the vibrancy of the cerulean irises drew attention away from them, but if you had an artist’s eye for detail, you could just make them out for Karma’s bird eye view.

_Curious._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhh yea so,, hello
> 
> it’s been a while.
> 
> i had like 80% of this chapter already written, so i figured I’d at least finish it up;; i don’t have that much motif to write karmagisa anymore just bc of reasons but i still love them a shitton so i might try to work on this fic from time to time if i can,,, i stopped writing for a while ik sorry abt that :/ i just have trouble getting myself to do it nowadays ahah a-
> 
> anyways i love alla yall i hope u had a good holiday season !! see ya next chap ??
> 
> -vc

**Author's Note:**

> The prologue chapter is 2k words oops
> 
> Hey y'all- The notorious VC returns after 3-4 weeks(???) of a break from writing! This fic is making its debut a little earlier than I anticipated, but the idea's development actually ended up coming to me pretty easily and here we are. With no interaction between karma and nagisa in the chapter at all goddamnit laura way to make an impression
> 
> S o yea sorry for that,,,, I promise next chapter will get more interesting and shipping-esque i just needed time to set up the plot and backstory-@ new readers stick w me here!!! Nagisa's role will come up next you'll get your cute flirting moments i promise 
> 
> Im gifting this fic to @nagisucc also??? i don't really have a particular reason,, i was gonna initially gift it to somebody who gave me 1/2 the idea for the au but idk if they have an ao3 (((kim if ur reading this ty ;) )) so,,, ya @nagisucc if ur reading this ty for the writing support!! ily fam let's try an write the kahoot thing soon
> 
> so yea if you've gotten this far into the end notes and for some godforsaken reason you LIKE the fic im a slut for kudos and comments so make sure to hit me w those ;;;))) i love y'all already see you in the next update that i hopefully write soon!!!!
> 
> -VC


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